The Chinchorro Culture, World Heritage

The Council of National Monuments in Chile and other institutions, among them the University of Tarapacá, are promoting the nomination of the Chinchorro Culture to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) as a part of World Heritage. Their nomination and preservation is important not only because they are the world’s oldest mummies, but also because the can be considered as the first works of art by the peoples of America. It should be mentioned that, of the five Chilean National Monuments that are classified as World Heritage, only 20% of them correspond to the original peoples, specifically Easter Island. The other monuments are the Church of Chiloe, the Nitrate Offices (Humberstone and Santa Laura), Sewell and Valparaíso. For more information regarding UNESCO and the nomination process, you are invited to visit the following sites